1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a block assembly and devices made from the block assembly, and more particularly to a block assembly providing plane blocks with coupling concave (recessed) portions and joint blocks with coupling convex (protruding) portions which are successively coupled to each other to assemble not only a planar body but also a three-dimensional solid body, and devices such as a chandelier or an ornament prepared from the block assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many toys that include building blocks for making an unlimited number of items. Some of the toys merely provide toy bricks that are secured together to form various objects. Toys of the brick type cannot provide numerous shapes and devices, however, due to the limitations imposed by the building blocks and the fact that such building blocks can only be connected to one another in limited ways.
Erector sets offer more flexibility then do brick-based toys, but they are also subject to limitations because screws and nuts are required to join together the toy beams and girders that serve as the building blocks. Moreover, such toys have connections limited to only a few degrees of freedom; this restricts the variety of objects that can be made therefrom.
Still other toys, such as the well-known "LEGGO" (trademark) toy, are free of screws and nuts but offer limited degrees of freedom in constructing various articles or devices. Moreover, the "snap"-type connectors provided therewith provide a relatively weak interconnection.
Another common shortcoming of the known devices is that any article or device made therefrom is forever an assembled device, i.e., there are no suitable means for converting such article into a permanent device or work of art.
What is needed, then, is a construction toy having building blocks with unique coupling means to increase the number of degrees of freedom available to the user thereof. A need also exists for a means whereby completed articles made of up individual building blocks could be converted into a permanent one piece device.
However, in view of the prior art at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in this art how such a device could be provided.